Historical Name: World Trade Center
Common Name: Sycamore
Latin Name: Platanus occidentalis
None of us will ever forget September 11, 2001, when a brutal act of terrorism destroyed The World Trade Center, killing thousands of innocent Americans. Amazingly, some trees near the site in lower Manhattan survived the devastation and produced seeds that autumn. On April 5, 2002 seeds were collected from several of the surviving trees closest to the site. Even though they were encased in dust, the Sycamore seeds germinated in UCNJ’s greenhouses. One of them was planted into UCNJ’s Historic Tree Grove in 2005.
The parent tree witnessed one of the worst moments in American history, and its offspring will serve as a memorial and reminder of the tragedy that touched all of us. As this tree matures it could be viewed as a symbol of recovery and renewed hope.